Discussion Papers

No.725

ABSTRACT

Countries that have totally different policy preferences tend to insist upon negotiation modalities convenient to themselves, without entering into substantial negotiations. This is what I refer to as the elevation of rivalry to the "meta-" level. Negotiations often become irreconcilable not because of fierce disagreement on substance but because of the elevation of disagreement to the meta-level. The purpose of this study is to depict the meta-level rivalry between countries that aspire to international leadership, using case studies of Sino-Japanese rivalry in regional cooperation, such as Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and Asian Monetary Fund (AMF).

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